Bangladesh leader Nahid Islam opposes Indian transit corridor, seeks fair water deal

A transit corridor is a route across one country that lets another country move goods, people, or vehicles between separate areas. In this case, the proposed network would use Bangladesh to improve India’s access between its northeastern states, the Bay of Bengal, and Southeast Asia. Such a route matters because it can reshape trade, ports, and regional influence.

Nahid Islam opposes the idea because he believes Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government is trying to hand India an “illegal corridor.” He linked the concern to Japan-backed connectivity plans involving Bangladesh’s Matarbari deep-sea port and wider regional links. Japan’s plans envisage an industrial chain through Bangladesh, while India has expressed interest in strengthening related partnerships.

Bangladesh’s government denies that a third-country issue was discussed during Rahman’s Japan visit. State Minister Humaiun Kobir said the talks focused on Bangladesh-Japan economic cooperation. Nahid has nevertheless threatened fresh protests, making the corridor a major political and regional issue.

The 1996 Ganges water-sharing treaty sets rules for dividing the river’s flow between India and Bangladesh at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal. It applies during the lean season, from January to May, when the treaty manages available water between the two countries. The agreement matters because Bangladesh wants its dry-season share protected through a reliable, long-term arrangement.

The treaty was signed on December 12, 1996, and has a 30-year term. Its rules cover the Ganges waters at Farakka, creating a formal process for sharing the river during the months identified in the agreement. Bangladesh has sought a new or revised treaty with a guarantee clause, similar to one included in the 1977 agreement.

The current treaty is due to expire on December 12. Nahid Islam has warned that Bangladeshis will protest if renewal does not protect Bangladesh’s fair share. India says water issues are handled through the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission.

The proposed connectivity network stretches across several parts of Asia rather than serving only one border crossing. Japanese officials have outlined a plan centered on Bangladesh’s Matarbari deep-sea port. It would connect India’s northeastern states with the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia through Bangladesh, placing Bangladesh at the center of a wider regional economic network.

The key mechanism is an industrial chain supported by transport and port links. Japan is helping develop Matarbari through financing from its development agency, JICA. Rahman and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also agreed to improve regional connectivity and upgrade the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt initiative into a strategic cooperation initiative.

The article gives no distance or financial value for the entire network. It says the initiative will also address disaster preparation, geopolitical risks, public-private partnerships, peace, and stability. Bangladesh’s government insists Rahman’s visit focused on its economic partnership with Japan, not a third-country corridor.

Nahid Islam, the National Citizen Party convener and Bangladesh opposition leader, is challenging both the proposed corridor and the treaty’s renewal terms. He accuses Tarique Rahman’s government of facilitating an Indian route through Bangladesh. Rahman’s government, however, says its Japan discussions focused on economic partnership and did not involve a third country.

Japan is supporting Matarbari deep-sea port and promoting broader connectivity, disaster planning, and economic cooperation. India has said it wants to strengthen partnerships with Japan, including initiatives involving India’s northeastern states. These positions connect the port project to a wider regional network, although Bangladesh says no such third-country issue was discussed.

The Joint Rivers Commission is the formal bilateral channel India identifies for river and water-sharing matters. Its role is to discuss these issues between India and Bangladesh. Nahid is pressing for a fair renewal before the December deadline, while the government must manage both diplomatic negotiations and domestic opposition.

The immediate risk is renewed political unrest inside Bangladesh. Nahid Islam has warned that Bangladeshis will take to the streets if the Ganges agreement is not renewed on terms that protect Bangladesh’s share. He said Bangladesh would not give up even a small part of its fair share, turning water negotiations into a public national issue.

The threatened protests follow the political importance of the National Citizen Party, which was formed by leaders associated with the student-led movement behind the July 2024 protests against Sheikh Hasina. Nahid’s warning gives the treaty dispute a broader political setting. It also links control of river water with public concerns about national sovereignty and India-related projects.

The treaty expires on December 12. Bangladesh wants a new or revised long-term agreement with a guarantee clause, while India points to the Joint Rivers Commission as the forum for discussion. If negotiations fail, the article indicates that protests could resume, but it does not specify their size or timing.

Water sharing becomes especially contentious during the Ganges’ dry, or lean, season because the treaty is managing river flows from January to May. With the agreement focused on this period, Bangladesh is particularly concerned that its allocation could be reduced or left insufficient. The article identifies the lean-season rules at the Farakka Barrage as the treaty’s central function.

Bangladesh has requested a new or revised long-term agreement containing a guarantee clause. It wants a provision similar to the one in the 1977 agreement, which Bangladesh says would protect its share of the river’s waters during the dry season. The requested guarantee would make the promised allocation more secure in future negotiations.

The current 1996 treaty expires on December 12. India has said river and water-sharing matters are discussed through the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission. Nahid Islam is demanding a fair renewal and has threatened protests if Bangladesh’s share is not protected.

A transboundary river is a river that crosses national borders or is shared by countries. Its water does not belong to just one government’s territory. Decisions about dams, barrages, withdrawals, or seasonal releases in one country can affect people and ecosystems in another, so shared rivers require cooperation.

India and Bangladesh share the Ganges. Their 1996 treaty sets rules for dividing its waters at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal during the January-to-May lean season. This is the basic mechanism for managing a shared river: countries negotiate an allocation and create an official channel for discussing disagreements.

Negotiated rules matter because they provide predictability and reduce the risk of unilateral decisions. In this case, Bangladesh wants a guarantee clause to protect its dry-season share, while India refers to the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission. The treaty’s December 12 expiry makes continued cooperation especially important.